Chelsea have been handed a major blow to their hopes of signing Lautaro Martinez in the January transfer window. The 25-year-old has been heavily linked with an exit from Inter Milan for some time now, but a move has never materialised.
According to Football365, as quoted by Manchester Evening News, Manchester United have locked horns with the Blues over the signing of the striker. The report states that both Erik ten Hag and Graham Potter are considering moves for the Argentina international as they look to further strengthen their respective frontlines.
Martinez, who sees his contract at the San Siro expire in 2026, has featured 12 times for Simone Inzaghi's side in the Serie A this season, directly contributing towards six goals. Despite having led the Italian giants to a title charge last term, the Argentine's impressive displays are yet to translate into points on the board, with the Nerazzurri currently sitting fifth.
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In May, Martinez's agent, Alejandro Camano, confirmed that his client is happy in Italy. As cited by Goal, he said: "We are not depending on a transfer. He is at Inter, he is happy, and the city is wonderful. Sometimes the press publishes things about a transfer, but Lautaro is thinking about Inter, giving the people of Inter joy, becoming champions and working for the World Cup."
Gazzetta dello Sport stated in the summer that the striker's future was uncertain while Inter nursed some financial problems. The report stated that, at the time, the club 'may be forced to accept' offers of around £51.4 million for his signature, but times have changed, and Inter don't seem to be under the same pressure anymore. Beppe Marotta, the CEO for sport at the Nerazzurri, has confirmed the club's budget this season was written up under the assumption that they would not qualify from the Champions League group stage.
The Italian giants were seeded into Group C with Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Viktoria Plzen. Against the odds, they booked a place in the round of 16, unlocking significant financial breathing space. Speaking to Sky Sport Italia not too long ago, as quoted by Football Italia, Marotta said: "It would be an important achievement that is part of the consolidation process that started three or four years ago.
"On a European level, we reached the knockouts last season, so doing it again would be an excellent result. It is very true.
"I don't know what Barcelona predicted, but as far as we were concerned, our budget was prudent. Having said that, we wanted to get through, and the draw made it look very difficult, but this evening we can crown a small dream to qualify a game early from an extremely tough group."
This throws a huge curveball on any potential interest from Chelsea or United, with Inter seemingly in no rush anymore to secure a windfall. Now, a bidding war could easily break out...
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